Lynne Spears: 'Things Are Looking Up Again'

After a year of upheaval for her family, Lynne Spears exclusively tells PEOPLE.com that she's cherishing the "small things" like taking Britney's sons Preston, 3, and Jayden, 2, for a spin in her golf cart and planning a shopping trip with Jamie Lynn because 3-month-old Maddie is "growing out of all her clothes."

PEOPLE caught up with Spears at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) 20th annual convention in Grapevine, Texas, where she was a surprise guest speaker. She shared with the crowd of 4,500 mothers what it's like to face criticism for the way she raised Britney, 26, and Jamie Lynn, 17.

"I had a perfect little plan," she said, explaining the parenting journey chronicled in her memoir, Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World. "But, you can't control the [kids]' peers, you can't control society and you do the best you can."

Lynne is making plans for the whole clan to get together. She especially loves doting on her three grandchildren, who call her "Me Maw."

"The seasons are changing and things are good this year," she says. "I am so happy where we are right now."

Spears, who appeared at the MOPS convention with co-author Lorilee Craker, said her deepest wish for the future of Britney and Jamie Lynn, is simple: "I would like smooth sailing for my children."